Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Jackson Link: Bogotá, Colombia

When I arrived in Bogotá on a late Saturday night, I came into a foreign country not knowing anything about it except its name and some minor facts. I had no idea what I would end up experiencing during my three week stay. I was excited and nervous at the same time, and I wondered how well I would speak Spanish in a Latin American country. After we landed and received our luggage, Sra. Victoria, Tobias, and I were greeted with open arms by our host families and Magdalena, the head of the English department at the school. We arrived in Colombia late so I went home with my family and went to bed as soon as we arrived at their home.

First Day

On my first real day in Colombia, my host father Hector decided to take us to the downtown area of Bogotá and visit el Museo de Oro, or the Gold Museum. El Museo de Oro has the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world, and most of these artifacts came from the indigenous tribes of the country. We met my host father's brother at the museum, and he talked to me about his experiences living in a different country when he stayed in Italy. We walked around downtown for a little bit and then we returned home.
My host family and I at El Museo de Oro
School Life

After a weekend to get to know my family, my host brother Antonio and I went to our bus, and took a forty minute drive to El Colegio Claustro Moderno. The school is located right on the side of a mountain and has a very natural vibe to it. While at the school, I took some classes with the eleventh grade, which is actually the highest grade in Colombia, and I also helped teach some English classes with Tobias. At El Claustro, the students have a lot more free time than they do at MBA. The mood at the school was also more relaxed. During breaks, Tobias and I played sports like basketball and soccer. We were significantly better at basketball, but they destroyed us in soccer. They also practiced many dance routines, which we tried to do, but we both failed miserably. The school had two special days while we were there. One day they did a Science Fair, and the other day was the Olimpiadas. For the Olimpiadas, each grade had to perform a dance routine to family members and alumni. During both events, vendors came to the school bringing delicious Colombian food.

Excursions

The school set up three excursions for us and our host brothers. For the first excursion we went to El Catedral de Sal, a cathedral in a salt mine outside of the city. The sheer scope of the chambers and the chapel amazed me. Before it was turned into a cathedral, the salt mine was used for centuries and even before the conquistadors arrived. 


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The next excursion was to Monserrate, a cathedral on top of one of the mountains near the city. The view from the cathedral was incredible, showing how expansive the city really is. We rode a funicular up the mountain and went inside the beautiful cathedral and visited the shops near it. 
View atop the mountain
Tobias, Santiago (his host brother), an English teacher, Antonio, and I

Tobias and I also went on a trip with Sra. Victoria and her husband to the Fernando Botero Museum. Fernando Botero is a very famous Colombian artist and his paintings were very interesting.


Family

I could not have asked for a kinder, more welcoming host family. From my first day onward, I felt like just a normal member of the family, and they treated me very well. They asked me a lot of questions, and they helped me adjust to Colombian culture. They brought me to family events and took me to some great tourist attractions and restaurants. I will always remember the way they opened their family to me.

Thanks

This experience truly impacted me. I not only gained better Spanish-speaking skills, but I also learned about a country and a culture about which I had known so little. I would like to thank the Wilson family for giving me this amazing opportunity. I would also like to thank Sr. Paolicchi for setting up this trip and to Sra. Victoria for joining us and helping us along the way. The relationships and experiences I gained are irreplaceable and I will cherish them for the rest of my life.


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